Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Parita Patel
Humber Collage

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health
The word healthy or health means different things to different people. Some people
may define health as the physical state of body while others may refer to it as the state of mind or
mental health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete
physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
(Jarvis, 2014, p. 30). This means being healthy does not only pertain to physical state of the body
but it also includes a persons general state of well-being. At every stage of life, health is
determined by social factors, physical environment and individual behaviours which are known
as their determinant of health. Health is defined differently depending on a peoples diverse
cultural beliefs which have a great amount of affect when dealing with their personal health.
My definition of health follows the WHOs definition of health in terms of physical
mental and social norms. However, spiritual health is another component I feel gives a boost to a
persons health. Physical health means having your body organs and system working sufficiently
by exercise, the activities done on a daily basis and getting all the nutrition by eating healthy. For
a good mental health, a person should be responsive and aware of their surroundings. In terms of
social norms, when a person needs to have a good support system such as family and friends that
keeps them happy. Lastly, when a person has personal faith, it gives them the determination to
push harder and gives them something to hold on to when things are going rough. The nursing
practise I feel would help support my definition is the medical approach. In order to have all the
four factors, a person needs to get regular checkups done, get all the immunizations, and take
medications and vitamins to keep the body functioning effectively. To me having these four
factors are the means of having a healthy body hence a healthy life.

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

Everyone has their own beliefs when it comes to health. I believe sickness is just a way of
our body telling us there is too much harm being done and need to do something before it gets
worse. When that response comes from the body, one should medically treat it by taking the right
precautions such as taking medication and eating healthy or by staying in an environment that
makes them feel relaxed. For example, when a person has the flu, taking medication is the most
effective treatment. If no measures are taken to eliminate the flu, it can escalate to higher health
complications, such as pneumonia. I also believe eating healthy is another way a person can stay
healthy. Eating a balanced, good nutritional meal is important to staying healthy because
diseases nowadays arise from the bad food choices we make. Unhealthy food is the main reason
people are obese, get hypertension or have diabetes. Being surrounded by people who care for
you and love is another factor in keeping our body healthy. When a person is stressed out, they
go to the people they feel will help them forget their tension and make them feel happy. Not
having social supporters can cause many people to go into major depression which affects the
immune system.
Determinants of health such as education and social support network are the two main
determinants that influence my health practise. Having a higher level of education improves a
persons health status. This means, people with a low level of literacy have a greater chances of
being unemployed and poor, causing them to have poorer health and to die earlier then the
people who have a higher level of literacy. Education is a factor that is a life-long process which
starts from childhood and goes throughout adulthood making it a key contributor to health and
wellness. A good social support system helps make life problems a lot easier to deal with. With
support from families, friends and community, a better health is certain. The care and respect that
is given by them is a natural buffer against health problems. Not having a support network can

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

lead to people feeling lonely and cause depression leading to premature death. With level of
education and the social support network received, I feel these are the two main determinants
that influence a persons health.
Cultural beliefs are a main reason that influences how a person stays healthy. In my
culture, a lot of Ayurvedic remedies are used before taking a supplement. When symptoms of
cough are seen, the first remedy that comes to mind is drinking turmeric water. With this belief
every time, I would rather use the alternative rather than taking cough syrup because of what
have been taught. Taking pills is a way of saying you are weak and need drugs to be strong. It
is highly said that taking medication is the last resort. Growing up in Canada, my cultural beliefs
have combined to the Canadian culture. Showing emotional illness is a way of saying you need
help and that is it is alright. Expressing your stress is a way to take out all the frustration and it
gives a lesser chance of heading towards depression. Also, eating healthy is one of the most
efficient ways to keep the body healthy. In my culture, any means of meat is not allowed, making
it hard for my body to get all the nutrients it needs. Despite that, there are other sources that help
me get my nutrients.
With personal health practice, there are downsides to a healthy body. Some ways I can
improve my personal health practice is by creating a supportive environment and by developing
personal skills. By creating a supportive environment, I mean having a surrounding in which you
are satisfied. Staying around positive people can give a reassurance that there is someone who
cares for you and will be there in the time of need. Developing personal skills can help by
providing support and by getting the education and information needed. Getting more education
and information on other ways of getting nutrients is an effective way of improving my health.
Knowing the effects of the different medications will also help improve my knowledge on which

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

pills are good and which are harmful. Practising these strategies can help me improve my health
practice and lean towards a healthy body.
Many people have different views on what characteristics define a healthy person. In
order to see the viewpoints, I compared my definition of healthy to one of my classmates
definition. She defines health as, staying physically fit, living in a positive environment and
having a good eating habit (K. Guillermo, personal communication, October 9, 2013). This
means she believes staying healthy does not only pertain to physical well- being but it is also
having a stable environment. There are many similarities to mine and her definition of health.
For the both of us, staying physically fit is the best way of staying healthy because it keeps our
organs and systems functioning sufficiently. Eating a balanced meal and having the right amount
of nutrition also helps with the proper functioning of the systems. We both also believe
surrounding ourselves with the people that care for us is the best approach to keep us content and
stress free. Even though there are a few similarities, there is also point that contrasts our opinion
on health. I believe spiritual health is the method that gives us the reason and purpose for living.
Many people do not believe spiritual health is a factor to contribute to when thinking about
health, yet it is a major aspect on how you live your life. Looking at the two definitions, it comes
to show how peoples views on health are different to your own.
Seeing the view point of another person on health, I believe my nursing practise will not
be influenced immensely. When doing my nursing practise, I will look for the factors that affect
the client the most since every person is different. Looking at their cultural beliefs will still be
my number one practice because I think that is the most important element that keeps a person
from becoming healthy. Even though majority of the people believe staying in a positive
environment give the strength to get better, it is not the same for all. I have also learnt that not

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

everyone believes spiritual health is a key component in staying healthy. Before I would use the
nursing techniques learnt in my nursing practise and not take into account what other factors are
influencing his/her bad health. Now, I would take into consideration as to what makes them feel
fit and well. Not knowing the main reason for the illness, other than the obvious one, can have a
vast impact on the extent of time it takes for a person to get back to their normal health. The way
a nurse does his/her practice is a very crucial element in a patients recovery.
In conclusion, the definition of healthy has multiple meanings to everyone, everywhere. I
believe healthy consists of four components: physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being.
Physical is having your body functioning properly by eating right and exercising. Mental health
means being responsive and being aware of the surroundings. Social well-being means
surrounding yourself in an environment that makes you feel stress free and spiritual health is
having a personal belief on what keeps you living. Education and social support system are
determinants of health which I believe play a big role in my personal health belief. Health status
of a person improves with the level of education and the support from their loved ones. Different
cultures have different beliefs on what keeps them healthy, like using natural medication instead
of chemically made tablets. Doing a comparison with another person gives you the realization of
how different people actually perceive healthy in comparison to you. Now when doing my
nursing practice, I would look at the factors that make the patient feel healthy and how to make
them well quicker because what we consider to be healthy is not the same for everyone else.

Running Head: Exploring Health Beliefs and Determinants of Health

References:
Jarvis, C. (2014). Physical Examination and Health Assessment: Canadian Edition (2nd ed).
Retrieved from Pageburst database.